The Ice Reaper's Heart
by marauderluverz
Summary: Lily begins her life at Akademia with her siblings in Class Zero. Things are fine at first, but slowly she realizes that she is in love with her Commanding Officer. The road ahead for them won't be easy as the Militesi Empire continues its assault on Orience and the Consortium tries to oust Dr. Arecia and Class Zero. Will love conquer all? Written by Lilygraystone
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi! This is a story that a friend of mine is writing. I offered to post it for her so she can get feedback. This is her first story so I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 1

We all sat silently in the airships, anxiously, waiting for our orders to land and begin Operation Vermillion Bird. Well, all except for two of us.

"Let's see who's stronger right now!" Sice shouted.

"Bring it on!" Nine yelled back.

Before they had a chance to do anything, Queen interceded. "Before a mission is not a time to test your strength."

I approached Ace who was waking up from a nap. _Ace really can sleep anywhere…_

I sat down next to him and summoned my Ancient Tome in my hand. "Are you prepared for the Eidolon summoning?" I asked him.

"Yes. He is all ready to go." Ace replied, summoning his cards.

I nodded in acknowledgement. "We should be receiving the signal soon. You, Queen, and Nine are meeting with Izana Kunigiri to receive the COMMS, right?"

Ace nodded. "Who are you teamed up with?"

"King and Trey," I responded. "I'm not thrilled that I have to work with Trey, but I guess it's better than being paired with Nine."

Ace laughed. "I'll send a signal when I need you for the summoning."

"I'll be waiting for it."

The signal sounded for us to begin Operation Vermillion Bird. We split into our groups and jumped from the airship. All around us, Dominion Legionaries were falling to the Militesi troops.

"It appears that we really are the only ones who can use magic right now." Trey stated.

"Yeah, it seems that way." King answered. I nodded in agreement.

We continued on, taking down enemy troops as we made our way further and further into Akademeia. We eventually met up with Cater, Eight, and Cinque. They gave us our COMMS and we proceeded.

"Can you hear me?" An unfamiliar voice echoed in my ear. "I am your Commanding Officer." _Our Commanding Officer?_

"Lily! We are ready to summon Odin. Head to the Arena right now!" Ace's voice sounded in the receiver.

"I'm on my way!" I replied to Ace. "King, Trey."

They both nodded at me. "Go."

I ran as fast as I could to the Arena. Ace was there waiting for me with Seven and Jack. On the ground behind them were two cadets from Akademeia lying unconscious. In front of us was the White Tiger Secundus l'Cie. She stood in front of a giant machine that I assumed was the crystal jammer.

"This sucks," the l'Cie said.

"That's the machine we need to take out, right?" I asked.

Ace nodded.

In the blink of an eye, the l'Cie transported herself in to the crystal jammer, and she fired it up.

"Ready?" Ace asked me.

I nodded. My Tome appeared in my hand and I began to read from it. "Conjuro te Odin . Tuitionem nostri populum tuum in fortitudine potentiae!"

Ace placed his card on the ground and the other two lent us their magic energy. Ace's card glowed yellow and Odin appeared in front of us. The Secundus White Tiger l'Cie grew angry and shouted from insider the Crystal Jammer. Ace and I controlled Odin as he fought the l'Cie. In the end, we were able to successfully drive the Militesi Empire back. Rubrum was safe for now!

I walked through the front doors of Akademeia. My siblings and I stopped and looked around.

"I forgot how big this place is." Jack said.

Cinque looked terrified. "I could easily get lost in this place."

I took Cinque's hand in mine and smiled. "Don't worry Cinque, I memorized the map. I'll make sure you don't get lost."

Her hand squeezed mine. "Yay! Big Sis is gonna look after me!"

I smiled and gently shook my head. _Silly._

Cinque and I led the way to our new classroom. When we reached the classroom we all looked around in curiosity.

"So this is what a classroom looks like." King said.

We were all excitedly discussing what we should do when a strange noise echoed throughout the room. It was a mixture of boots repeatedly hitting the floor combined with the jingling of metal on a uniform. We turned and saw a man walking towards us. There was something intriguing and oddly attractive about him. I think it must have been a combination of the metal mask that covered the lower half of his face, his beautiful blue eyes, his purple hair, and the intimidating aura that surrounded him. We all took our seats and waited for him to speak.

"All right, let's cut through the formalities. I am now your commanding officer, Kurasame." The man said.

Ace shifted in his seat, "Commanding officer?"

The Commander continued. "Yes, as of this moment, you are under my command. The authorization came directly from Archsorceress Arecia Al-Rashia"

Once again, Ace couldn't hide his surprise once again. "From Mother?!"

Nine wasn't having any of this. "Hey, take a hike, yo! We only take orders from Mother, got it? You're not wanted here, y—" Nine hadn't even finished the word before the back of our CO's hand connected with his face. The impact sent Nine flying into a wall. I could hear a few of my siblings gasp in surprise. _Huh. Nine sure needs it. He's such a hothead._

Nine stands up and wipes the blood from his mouth. "Ow, that hurt!" This time, Nine tried punching the Commander. However, our CO caught his wrist, twisted him around, and threw him over the desk.

"That's enough!" Queen shouted. Cater tried attacking the Commander, but he blocked it with blizzard magic. Ace also tried to get him, but his sword pierced Ace's card before the attack could happen.

"Whew! This guys is pretty tough!" Jack laughed.

"Not for long!" Nine rebuffed, holding his stomach.

Queen interjected again, "He said it was Mother's decision! Are you saying you won't follow Mother's orders?" Nine clicked his tongue in response.

"Satisfied?" Our Commanding Officer asked.

I missed the rest of what he said because I was completely absorbed in my own thoughts. _I think we'll get along just fine…_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nine continued to cause trouble for the Commander throughout the week. One day, I was walking down the Hallway when I heard Nine thundering down the Hallway to Class Zero's classroom. ' _Time for a little bit of fun.'_ Before he had time to react, I stuck my foot out in front of him.

 _Thud!_ Nine fell face first onto the floor. "Ow, yo! That hurt!"

I couldn't hold back my laughter at the sight of Nine's face. He stood up and got in my face. "You want a piece of this, yo?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please Nine, we know who would win that fight."

He clicked his tongue, "Whatever."

I fought hard to keep my laughter in as he walked away. Along the way, Nine passed by the Commander. A look of confusion crossed his face.

He stopped in front of me and asked, "Why are Nine's nose and forehead red?"

My laughter could no longer be contained and I burst into a fit of giggles. I struggled to explain what had just transpired because I couldn't stop laughing.

The Commander shook his head, "By the Crystal, you are all children."

With an impish smile on my face I retorted, "Oh come on Commander. Are you going to tell me that you never acted like this?" His eyes would not meet mine. "That's what I thought. Kazusa has told me a few stories about your Cadet days here at Akademeia."

His eyes widened. "You know Kazusa?"

I nodded, "He asked me to help him with his research."

His brow furrowed, "I told him to stop with that. Don't help him anymore."

I couldn't hide my confusion. "Why? You help him, and your friend Emina helps him too. So why can't I help?"

He sighed in exasperation, "Please just do as I say."

"Fine."

The Commander nodded in relief. "Good."

"I'm leaving now." I stated as I began walking away. I could have sworn I heard him sigh as I walked away.

The next day was our first official mission as Class Zero cadets. Our orders were to aid in the reclaiming of McTighe. Five groups of three were to be dispatched to separate areas with the goal of driving out the Militesi troops. I was rather excited about being paired with King, since he is my best friend. Unfortunately, I was also paired with Nine.

I walked into the classroom where everyone was preparing their weapons. Nine was carefully polishing his lance next to King, who was cleaning his twin guns.

"Aren't you going to prep your weapon, Lils?" Nine asked.

"First of all, I told you not to call me that, I hate it. Secondly, my weapon doesn't require prepping." My Tome appeared in my hand. I rubbed its cover gently. "It's great for magic, but want to see what else it's good for?" I asked Nine.

He nodded curiously. I held my Tome up, then quickly smacked the side of his head with it. A look of utter shock crossed Nine's face. King chuckled and shook his head. I wore a triumphant smirk.

" That's for yesterday," I said to Nine.

"You're not still angry about that, huh?" Nine responded, grinning like an idiot.

"Of course I am you—" I was cut off by the commander entering the classroom.

"Alright cadets, time to go."

We followed the Commander out of the classroom. In the entrance hall, we split ways with our CO. At the front gate we assembled into our five groups and began our mission. We received our orders from the Commander over our COMMS and started eliminating Militesi troops as soon as we arrived. King and I focused on the high up and distant troops while Nine took out the closer ground troops.

We carried out our mission with ease and returned to Akademeia. King and I immediately finished our reports and turned them in to the Commander. It should come as no surprise that Nine neglected to even fill out his report.

As I handed my report to the Commander he said, "Good work."

I smiled, "Thanks." I then took my leave.

A few days later I was sketching on the Terrace in my free time. I could hear some of the students whispering about me.

"Isn't she from Class Zero?" one would say.

"Yeah, the only reason she was able to get into this school is her mother's position. Must be nice just waltz right into this school without taking any of the tests we had to." another would respond.

This was the gist of what people were saying about my siblings and I. I tried not to pay any attention to it, but it still hurt.

"Don't let what they say bother you." a familiar voice said from behind me.

"Oh!" My hand slipped in surprise and left a very noticeable mistake on my picture.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the Commander said.

I shook my head, "It's alright, I can fix it."

"May I sit next to you?" he asked me.

"Sure." I moved over to make room for him on the bench.

"You're very talented. That drawing is amazing."

"Thank you, scenery is my favorite thing to draw. I do however, draw people sometimes." I showed him the drawings I had done in this sketchbook. There were sketches of the landscape by my home, sketches of King, sketches of Nine, and one of the Commander as well.

"Despite appearances, you and Nine are close. Aren't you?"

I smirked, "Yeah, I guess so." Upon seeing the sketch of himself, his eyes widened. "Sorry, I should have asked for your permission before drawing you."

The Commander laughed. "It's all right." I had never heard the Commander laugh before; it made my heart skip a beat. We sat in silence. Not an uncomfortable silence, but a pleasant one.

I finally spoke, "Thank you Commander."

"For what? I didn't do anything," he replied.

"I feel better now, thank you for cheering me up." I mumbled quietly. I held my sketchbook tightly and stared at the floor.

"Well, I should check to make sure Nine is staying out of trouble." The Commander stood up and started walking away. When he reached the doorway, he stopped and turned around. "You're welcome." He bowed his head and entered the portal.

I looked down at the blank page in my sketchbook. _The way the sun looked when it hit the side of his face. I can't get that image out of my head._ My pencil began to move across the paper fervently. His outline began to take form on the page. I sat there and sketched until I finished the picture. I looked at my finished work and smiled. _It's perfect._

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's chapter 3! Please feel free to leave feedback and let us know what you think so far! :)**

Chapter 3:

We continued carrying out missions for the dominion. Everything was going smoothly for us. The Militesi empire would not let up no matter how many times they lost. I was reflecting on all of this one afternoon on the Terrace. It had become my favorite spot to think and have time to myself. Occasionally, I would have a visitor sit and talk with me for a bit, which was nice.

I gazed out at the water and watched how the sun reflected off of it. _It's absolutely beautiful._

"The water is calming, isn't it?" the Commander said. "May I sit down next to you?"

"Hello Commander," I moved over to make room for him. He sat down next to me and looked out at the water too. "When I look at the water, it's hard to believe there's a war going on." I turned and smiled at him.

"You don't have to call me Commander…you can call me Kurasame."

I was absolutely shocked by the words that had just come from his mouth. "I-I don't know if I can do that." I managed to stutter out.

"Please, I would feel less awkward if you used my name. If your hesitation is due to the fact that I am your CO and that I am older than you, then please don't worry about it. We are only five years apart." He looked straight at me as he said this. "And, I may be your CO—but you have become more of a TA than a student, so I'm okay with it."

I stared at the ground for bit, unable to meet his eyes. _It's true. He's 26 and I'm 21, it's not like he's a lot older than me. I have been helping him a lot lately too._ I looked up at him and smiled, "Okay, Kurasame, but you have to call me Lily then." I then turned away from him to hide the blush forming on my face.

We sat and talked for at least an hour; we didn't talk about anything in particular, but it was still a pleasant talk. Once you get past the intimidating air that surrounds him, he is actually quite nice. I never expected to see this side of him; this gentle side of him. I'm glad that he chose to sit next to me.

I made my way back to my dorm room to put my things away. Along the way, I passed by Nine.

"Lily! Where you been, hey?" he asked me.

"Sitting on the Terrace talking to the Commander." I replied.

Nine scratched his head, "Why were you hanging out with Metal-Mouth, yo?"

I couldn't contain the anger that suddenly bubbled up inside me. "Don't call him that!" I shouted as my fist connected with his stomach.

Nine doubled over at the impact of my fist, "Ow, yo! What'd you do that for, huh?" Nine said.

King suddenly appeared behind me, "Enough Nine." he said. King placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me away. "Nine's an idiot. Don't let him get to you."

My shoulders slumped, "I know. I don't know why I got so angry. Something just suddenly snapped inside of me."

King chuckled, "Who woulda thought that I would figure it out before you."

I tilted my head in confusion and looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"You're in love with the Commander," was all he said before walking away.

I blinked and watched him go. _That can't be. I can't be in love with Kurasame. He's my Commanding Officer, but every time I think about him my heart skips a beat. Maybe I am in love with him, but he could never love me._ My chest tightened painfully at that thought. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, I made my way to my dorm room and didn't leave for the rest of the night.

During the next week I did my best to avoid run-ins with Kurasame. The most contact we had was him teaching class. Until he asked for my help grading papers. _Ugh, this cannot be happening right now. I haven't completely sorted out my feelings for him just yet. I don't know what to do._ As I sat next to him and graded papers I kept my eyes down and refused to look at him at all. My heart was pounding at how close we were. Our shoulders were almost touching as we sat there. I moved to grab the next paper from the pile, but Kurasame reached to grab it at the same time. It didn't matter that his hand was gloved; my face flushed at the sudden contact. I faced a different direction to keep my blush hidden from him. I couldn't stand sitting so close to him anymore, so I scooted my chair over a little bit.

"Lily, what's wrong? You haven't been acting strange for the past few days," Kurasame said to me.

"Nothing's wrong." I kept my gaze on the paper I was grading.

"Then why won't you look at me?" he replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm just grading papers." I half-lied.

"Look at me." Kurasame reached out and lifted my chin so I was forced to look at him. I tried to pull my chin away, but he wouldn't let me. "Why won't you look at me?" he asked again.

I was struggling to maintain my composure. "It's nothing."

"That's obviously not true." he stated.

The pressure was finally starting to get to me as this continued for a few minutes. Finally, I snapped. "I'm in love with you!" I blurted out as tears began streaming down my face.

Kurasame let my chin go and blinked confusedly. "What?" he asked in tone that fell somewhere between shock and surprise. My tears increased and I hurried from the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

I ran out of the classroom and right into Nine and King.

"Oof!" Nine and I both exclaimed.

"Why did you come running out of there so fast?" King asked.

"And why are you crying, hey?" Nine also asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." I replied solemnly.

"Tell us. It will probably make you feel better." King said.

I nodded and followed them to the Terrace.

"So what happened, hey?" Nine asked after we had sat down on the benches. Thankfully, the Terrace was currently empty which was a rarity lately.

"I-I, I accidentally told Kurasame how I feel about him." I stuttered out, starting to cry once again.

Nine's eyes widened in shock. "You have a thing for metal—"

King held his hand up and stopped Nine. "What did he say that made you cry?"

I shook my head, "He didn't really say anything. He was very surprised. I ran out before he had a chance to let what I said set in. He's probably going to hate me now." The tears turned to sobs at this point. "I've ruined everything!" I spluttered.

King wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. Nine joined in and they both hugged me and consoled me. "I don't think he hates you." King stated.

"How do you know?" I asked.

King grabbed my shoulders and turned me around. Walking towards us was Kurasame, looking quite flustered.

"Lily, may I speak with you privately?" Kurasame asked me.

King gave me a little push in his direction.

"S-Sure." I replied.

The two of us began to walk away when Nine grabbed Kurasame's arm. "If you make her sad again I'll pound you, yo."

Kurasame merely nodded and began walking once again. The silence between us was extremely awkward as we continued walking. He led me to the courtyard outside of Classroom Zero and gestured for me to sit on the bench.

"Lily. There's something I have to tell you." He started.

My chest tightened at the tone with which he was talking. _He's going to tell me that there is no way he can love me. I don't know if my heart will be able to handle this._ My hands drifted to the hem of my skirt and began fiddling with it. I looked up and my eyes met his. I braced myself for the words that I knew were coming.

"I think you know what I'm going to say." He continued.

"Yeah, that you could never love a girl like me." I muttered.

"Don't say that. That's not what I was going to say and you are fully aware of that." He stated somewhat angrily. "It would never work out between us. I am a broken vessel, and I am your Commanding Officer. Things would be highly complicated. It just isn't something that could ever happen." He said gently.

I stared at my feet as I fought back tears that were threatening to spill again. _I will not cry like this here in front of him. I will not let these tears fall from my eyes._ I pushed back my sorrow and held my head up. "So I was right. You could never love a girl like me."

Kurasame looked away from me and muttered, "I did love a girl like you once. It has nothing to do with who you are. It's who I—"

"Please tell me you are not going to say, 'It's not you: it's me.' That's a load of crap and you know it." I felt anger bubble up within me. I stood up abruptly and stormed off. I stopped at the doorway and turned to look at Kurasame. "Despite what you have just said to me, my heart is still yours. Don't think that it changes that easily." And I walked away.

 **A/N: thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The next month proved to be extremely difficult for me. My chest would tighten painfully every time I would see him. That being said, I had to push my pain to the side or risk being killed on the battlefield. Having King and Nine there to cheer me up made the pain less noticeable though. The most frustrating thing for me was that I could see the conflict in Kurasame's eyes every time we had to interact. As much as he tried to hide it, I could see that he had feelings for me deep down.

One day, those feelings were dangerously close to making an appearance. We were sent to the Militesi Frosti base to destroy the factory where they research and produce new magitec armor and weaponry. The mission was going well until we encountered a sniper that was shooting at us from about four thousand meters away, according to Trey. When the shot hit a metal container, it ricocheted off and hit me in the side. Trey was able to easily eliminate the sniper with his bow and arrow. I crumpled to the ground and pressed my hand to wound to stop the bleeding. Nine and King rushed to my side to help me. Before we could progress further, Naghi arrived and informed us that Concordia, Rubrum, and Milites had agreed to a ceasefire. We were to hang out in Ingram, the capital of the Militesi Empire. Needless to say, none of us were too thrilled.

Nine and King each took a side and helped me walk. We reached the Armada Hotel in Ingram and were instructed to wait there. Kurasame entered the room and noticed Nine and King helping me sit, as well as the healthy amount of blood pouring from my wound.

"Lily! What happened?!" He came right to where I was and cast a healing spell on my wound immediately. "You'll still be a little sore, but it should be mostly healed now."

I nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Commander." I sat up a little more and began talking to Nine and King. I briefly glanced at him and noticed a twinge of sadness and hurt in his eyes. _It's not right of me to treat him like this, even if it's his fault that I'm hurting. I never expected to fall for a man this hard._

He then returned to the entryway and addressed the entire class. "Sorry to keep you. Effective immediately, you lot have been remanded to my charge. You're safe now."

"You didn't come all the way to Milites just to confirm our identities and pick us up, did you?" Seven questioned.

"Chancellor Khalia is in Milites for negotiations on a long-term truce with the empire. I am here as his attendant. As I am also your commander, it is my duty to brief you and give you instruction." He replied.

Machina spoke up, "Commander, permission to speak freely?"

"What is it?" Kurasame replied.

Kurasame and Machina went back and forth about the peace treaty and Ace joined in at the end. Finally, he finished with them and continued addressing the class. "It will be some time before the peace negotiations conclude. I'm sure you're exhausted from the operation. You may stay the night and return to Rubrum tomorrow. You are on leave until tomorrow afternoon with permission to move freely outside the military zone. It's not everyday you get to visit the Militesi Imperial Capital. Why not take a look around? Don't forget: you are cadets. Make good use of your time. That is all." He then turned and left the room.

We were sitting and discussing what to do, when the door opened. The Queen of Concordia came through the door. We all bowed down in respect.

"There is no need for formalities here. Be at ease." The Queen said. She then looked out the window for a moment. She nodded and said, "Yes, indeed."

I tilted my head and thought for a moment. _Given what I know about the Queen, she must be conversing with her dragon outside. I wonder what it said._

"You're the Queen of…" Machina trailed off. _What an idiot. Of course she's the Queen of Concordia. She looks more regal than the two attendants with her._

"I beg your pardon. I am Andoria Kaya Tranka Fam Forturio. I have come to Milites on behalf of Concordia to take part in the negotiations." She stated. _So these peace talks are really going down. It'd be nice to have a break from fighting all the time._

It was such a pleasure to be able to meet the queen. She talked to us for a bit before leaving to start the peace negotiations. After the Queen of Concordia had left we were told we could leave the hotel if we wanted to.

I got up slowly and followed behind King and Nine who were leaving the hotel. Kurasame stopped me right outside the door and asked for a word. "Go on ahead you two. I'll catch up." They nodded and continued on. "What's the matter?" I asked him.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked me.

"I am now, but why do you care?" I rebuffed, albeit a little more harshly than originally intended.

"Please don't treat me like a bad guy. I'm not one." He stated.

I sighed and replied, "With what you're doing to me, one could argue that fact."

Kurasame closed his eyes. "Fine, I'll go. Just…promise me you'll be careful. I still don't completely trust the Militesi troops."

"Sure, sure. Whatever. Bye." I responded as I began walking in the direction Nine and King left in.

As I was walking away, I noticed the Commadant speaking with Machina. I only caught a few words of what he was saying. _Why is the Commadant speaking to Machina about Class Zero and his brother Izana? What is this man up to?_ To avoid being caught eavesdropping, I decided to continue looking for King and Nine. It wasn't too long before I spotted them. It looked like they were getting into it with a Militesi soldier.

"You say we're the lap dogs for the Crystal. But I'd say you make a much better pet for Cid." King stated.

"What did you say?" the Militesi soldier said.

"What happened to your emperor who sustained this realm? Why do you follow Cid so blindly?" King asked.

The soldier was becoming visibly agitated, "How dare you speak of Marshal Cid that way!"

"Hmph. Should have known not to try reasoning with a lap dog." King bantered.

The Militesi soldier growled in frustration and stomped his feet.

I giggled as I watched these events unfold. I became aware of the presence of someone behind me. I turned around to find a Militesi soldier grinning down at me. "Can I help you?" I asked.

"What's your name beautiful?" was all he said.

"Do you want my first and last name?" I tilted my head and asked.

"Sure!" He laughed obnoxiously.

" My name is Get Lost." I smirked after I responded.

"Oh come on, don't be like that. I'll make sure you have a good time here in Milites."

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. _Ugh. This guy can't take a hint._ I could hear Nine and King coming closer to see what was going on. "Hey you two. This guy says he can make sure we have a good time while we're here in Milites. What do you guys think?" I called over my shoulder to them. Nine laughed in response.

"What a loser, yo!" Nine said while laughing.

"Come on, Nine. Don't dent what little pride this man has." I responded giggling softly.

King shook his head, but I could tell that he was laughing too.

I waved at the Militesi soldier. "See ya." I called to him. The three of us walked back to the Armada Hotel to rest before leaving for Akademeia.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

We hadn't been in the Armada Hotel for long when our orderly Aria came running in.

"Run! The chancellor and Kurasame are ou—" _BANG!_

A gun shot rang out as Aria's blood splattered against the side of my face. Our eyes widened in shock as Aria's body hit the floor. From outside the doors we heard people rushing around.

"Visual! Seize them all!" We heard a soldier say from outside the door.

"Run for it!" Eight shouted.

Rem stopped and looked at Aria's body lying on the floor. Machina called to her and said, "If we stay here we'll suffer the same fate. Let's move on!"

We ran out of the building and fought several soldiers that were waiting outside. _Why did they attack us all of the sudden? What happened to the ceasefire that was called? Trey was right; we've been sitting in a trap this whole time. Please let Kurasame be okay, don't let him be hurt. I truly do love that man._ He was the only thing on my mind as we continued to fight and push on, trying desperately to escape from the Militesi territory.

We made it to a military train depot and hid while some soldiers were walking by. From what I overheard, we were being accused of assassinating the Queen of Concordia.

We all stared at each other completely surprised by the news that we just heard.

"Assassination of the queen?" Machina asked, dumbfounded.

"No…" Rem said.

Deuce was desperately trying to contact Kurasame, "It's no use. I can't contact the dominion."

"It can't be…" Machina muttered.

Rem was starting panic, "Don't tell me they have the chancellor too? Is Rubrum safe?"

King and I had been conversing quietly up to this point, but King stopped and interjected, "I still have my memories of the chancellor. And Kurasame was by his side." _With Kurasame by his side, Chancellor Khalia will be just fine._

Cinque nodded in agreement with what King said, "Mmm-hm. If we can still remember Kurasame and the chancellor, that means they are still alive and well."

"Alive and well for now may be a better way to put it." Trey added.

"But…then, why don't they respond? And why do they think WE did it?" Rem asked.

Jack chose to answer, "Maybe the Crystal made us forget killing her somehow."

Rem shook her head, "But if that were true, we would still remember that we assassinated someone."

I turned back to King and continued talking. "Do you think I should tell Mother about this?"

King nodded, "Mother would have an explanation. But do you really remember everything?"

"I do. We absolutely did not assassinate the queen. We did talk to her, she introduced herself to us and said she came here for the peace negotiations, but we did not assassinate her. King, I even remember Izana Kunigiri."

We could hear the soldiers begin to move close to our hiding spot. "Let's move." King said.

We spotted a train that was leaving the depot in a few minutes. We all braced ourselves and headed back into battle. We fought our way to the train and boarded as quickly as we could. The train left the station, but our fight wasn't over yet. They began attacking not only us, but the engine of the train as well.

"Why are they attacking the train engine?!" the Moogle shouted. We tried to keep them from destroying the engine, but we failed. The engine of the train exploded before we could defeat them all. We had to disembark and continue to make our way through Ingram. We were not quite sure which way to go. An MA intercepted us on our way out and we had to fight hard, and all of us were breathing heavily after the MA's defeat. We were not prepared for what happened next.

Celestia and her dragon stopped us and knocked Rem out instantly. "This is for the queen!" she shouted. Machina went in for an attack. "Haltz!" Lightning struck Machina and sent him flying back. The attack left him unconscious.

Ace interjected rather frantically, "Wait! Please listen—it wasn't us!"

"It's true! Please listen to us!" Deuce pleaded.

Celestia did not stop to hear us out. "Ratelo!" she commanded her dragon.

It began to charge at us. Ace summoned his cards and prepared himself for an attack. "You mustn't!" Deuce cried out. She bravely jumped in front of Ace and stared down the dragon as it charged.

"Rhit!" Celestia commanded. The dragon took to the air at the last possible moment. "Quite bold, you are…Now unto me, your innocence you must prove." Deuce let out a sigh of relief. Celestia informed us that the dragons believed what we said of our innocence. She helped us escape from Ingram and left us at a deserted house on the edge of the Militesi territory. King and Nine carried Rem and Machina's unconscious bodies and placed them in the deserted house. We waited for them to wake up before deciding what to do next.

After a short period of time, Rem woke up. Machina came to about a half an hour exited the house and joined the group. Deuce explained what had happened to them. Machina just stared at the floor, not saying a word.

"Hey, what's wrong? You injured or something, huh? Get it together, will ya?" Nine said to him.

"Stop that! Don't talk down to me like that!" Machina shouted back.

Nine took a step forward, "You wanna say that again?"

Cater interjected this time, "Hey, you! What's with your attitude? Who do you think carried you all this way, huh?"

"Hah! So you'll save me for some reason, but you kill my brother!?" Machina responded even angrier than before. I sat forward and continued to watch to see how this would play out.

"Your brother?" Deuce asked, confused.

Rem spoke up, "Machina, what are you saying?"

"My older brother was killed by Class Zero!" Machina informed her. I narrowed my eyes at the new information I just received. _So that's what's going on here. The Commadant has convinced Machina that we were the reason his brother died in battle. The Commadant will stop at nothing to get Mother and us out of the way._

"If it weren't for you people, he wouldn't have had to run all over the battlefield! There was no reason for him to die!" he continued.

At this point, I chose to tune out of the conversation. I walked over to King and sat down next to him. "What a waste of time." I said, "We should be figuring out a way to contact Kurasame and get home."

King nodded, "At least we know what Machina's problem is now. Who was Machina's brother?"

"Izana, the one I spoke of earlier. He was the soldier who delivered our COMMS. Ace asked for him specifically," I replied.

"Why?" King asked.

"They met at the Chocobo Ranch and became friends. Ace asked if he would be willing to be our liaison on this mission and Izana agreed. He said he wanted to make his little brother proud." I replied.

King furrowed his brow, "How do you know all of this?"

I nodded towards Ace, "They told me everything a couple days before the mission. I met Izana the one time, Ace introduced us."

King nodded, "That makes sense then."

The conversation began to escalate between the others, so we decided to join back in. "Larger issues?" Rem asked.

"We can't contact the dominion." King stated.

Deuce spoke next, "They won't answer no matter how many times we try."

I contemplated for a moment. _There is nothing wrong with our COMMs. Does this have anything to do with the Commadant speaking to Machina and the Intel officer Queen saw? What if this is all some large scheme…_ I was pulled from my thoughts as Machina stormed off and left the campsite.

"Sice, King, and I will take the first watch. You guys rest up." I said to the others. They all nodded and sat around the campfire.

Sice stood guard on one side while King and I guarded the other. King sat down on a rock and I joined him. "I don't like this King, something isn't right about this whole situation. It makes me feel uneasy."

King patted my head, "It might mean some problems up ahead, but I'm sure we'll pull through. How are things going with the Commander?"

My gaze fell to the floor, "I can see that he has feelings for me when he looks at me, but he refuses to acknowledge them. "

"Maybe he's worried about the repercussions of dating one of his cadets." King suggested.

I shook my head, "He's not one who usually cares about that kind of thing, but maybe you are right. I wonder if he's worried about me at all right now."

King smiled, "I'm sure he is. He'd be an idiot if he wasn't."

"Thanks King." I replied. _I can always count on King._

Seven and Nine relieved Sice, King, and I of our post so we could get some rest. We joined the others around the campfire. King and I sat next to each other on ground and settled in. I shivered against the cold. Our campfire was small so that it would not draw unwanted attention, so it did not provide much heat. King removed his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"Thank you, King." I said. King nodded and smiled.

The chatter around the campfire picked up. Cater and Sice were commenting on Machina's absence, and Ace chimed in, "If they found him, they would have been here by now."

"Well, either way, if he takes any longer, we'll have to leave him behind." Jack stated.

It was then that we heard the sound of footsteps coming towards us, and we saw Machina coming our way.

"Machina!" Rem shouted. She ran up to him and checked to make sure he was alright. When Ace asked him what happened while he was gone, Machina mentioned the White Tiger l'cie. Rem grew worried, but Deuce came over and interrupted.

"Oh, uh, I have news!" Deuce said.

Ace's eyes widened, "The enemy!?"

"No! What? ...Oh, Machina! I'm glad you made it back!" Deuce replied.

Cater voiced her frustration, "Ugh! Be glad later! Is it the enemy!?"

"Oh!" Deuce exclaimed, "No, the COMM is responding! I've reached the dominion!"

We all grew excited that we would finally be able to go home. Kurasame sent an airship to pick us up from Milites. We ran as fast as we could to the meeting site. We anxiously sat in the airship as we were escorted home.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

We finally arrived in Akademeia and disembarked from the airship. Kurasame met us at the end of the ramp.

"Reporting back sir." Eight said to him.

"Submit your mission report. The consortium may choose to open an inquiry." Kurasame replied.

Cater jumped in, "You mean that's all you have to say—after everything we've just been through!?" Eight held out his arm to stop her.

"Just tell us: why didn't you answer our transmissions?" Ace asked.

"We didn't receive any. Our communications couldn't reach you, either." Kurasame answered.

Nine shook his head in frustration, "What a load of crap, yo! You saying that all our COMMS just died all at once, huh?"

Kurasame merely replied, "The inquiry board believes you may have intentionally cut off communications."

"What!?" Nine shouted angrily.

Kurasame continued, "Welcome back. You are free to rest until further notice."

Nine pointed at the him and began to say something back, but King gave him a look that told him to not say anything. "Let's go," was all King said.

Nine, King, and I all left at the same time. When we reached the entrance hall, I said goodbye to them.

"Where ya going, hey?" Nine asked me.

"To see Mother about something important." I replied.

King nodded, "Go. We'll see you later."

I made my way to Mother's office on the Sorcery floor. She greeted me with a kiss on my forehead. "I'm glad you made it back safely darling."

"Thank you Mother. Can I ask you about something?"

"What is it?" she replied.

I furrowed my brow as I thought about how to explain this to her. "I have come to realize that I have memories of those who have died. I know the Crystal is supposed to erase the memories of those who die."

Mother closed her eyes thoughtfully, "Think of it this way, someone has to remember those who are gone. The memories of them never just disappear. Does it bother you?"

I shook my head, "No, it's proven to be useful already. I know for a fact that we did not assassinate the Queen of Concordia. Please believe me Mother!"

She smiled and patted my cheek affectionately, "I never believed those accusations for a moment. Now, about that wound you sustained, let's have a look at that."

My eyes widened in surprise, "How did you find out about that?"

"Your Commanding Officer is very thorough." She chuckled.

I giggled too, "Yes, he is."

"He also asked me a very interesting question." Mother said as she examined where my wound had been.

"What did he ask you?" was my response.

"I can't say. Now, your wound looks like it healed properly. You are good to go, I'm going to send for Cater now."

I smiled and nodded, getting up from my seat, "Thank you for everything Mother."

"You're welcome, darling." She replied with a smile.

I closed the door to her office and was greeted by an unexpected sight. Kurasame was waiting for me outside the door. "Hello Kurasame. What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I came to get you. There's something important you should know." he told me.

"Oh? What is it?" I asked curiously.

"Not here. Come with me." he said as he began walking away.

I followed him into the portal. _What's going on? He has to take me somewhere to tell me this important information? I don't understand._ Kurasame led me to a part of Akademeia that I didn't even know existed. His poor little Tonberry was doing his best to keep up. I leaned down and offered to pick him up. He sat happily on my shoulder as I walked behind Kurasame. "Where are we? I don't remember seeing this place on the map…" I asked him.

He stopped just before a beautiful ornate door. "Close your eyes."

I narrowed my eyes at his suspicious behavior. "Why?" _I know he wouldn't do anything strange, but I don't like the idea of being that vulnerable._

"Please, just close your eyes." he said. I did as I was told, and I closed my eyes. I almost flung them open when I felt him take my hand. He gently pulled me forward and I heard the door opening. _What is on the other side of this door?_

"Open your eyes." he said.

I opened my eyes and saw a beautiful field of flowers. "Wow! It is absolutely beautiful up here! There are so many flowers!" In all directions were flowers of different colors and types. "What kind of news are you going to give me that needs to be done in a beautiful place like this?" I asked, placing the Tonberry on the ground so he could explore.

He took a deep breath and took my hands in his. My began to beat faster at this sudden gesture. "After seeing you hurt in Milites, and during the last few days while you were running around Milites whereabouts unknown I was really worried about you. This made me realize something."

I opened my mouth to interject, but his raised his hand to stop me. "Please let me finish, if I don't, I might never be able to get the courage to say this again." I nodded in acknowledgement. "I've known this for a while, but I didn't want to admit it. I'm sure you could tell though, even though I tried to hide it. Lily, I…"

I could tell that he was having a hard time saying what he was thinking. I didn't think it was possible, but my heart beat even faster in anticipation of what he would say next. _Is this it? Is he going to say what I think it is—the words I have wanted to hear for so long now?_ I smiled and squeezed his hand in encouragement.

He took a deep breath and started speaking again, "Lily, I-I love you."

My heart almost stopped when those words finally came out of his mouth. I couldn't contain the love and excitement that were overflowing from my heart. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly, burying my face in his chest. "I love you too. I've wanted to hear you say those words to me, so much so that my heart would ache whenever I saw you."

He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back, "I'm sorry I've kept you waiting this long."

I giggled, "I forgive you, it's all okay now." I reached up and cupped his covered cheek. The metal mask was cool on my fingers. "Can I take it off?" I asked timidly.

At first he hesitated, but after some thought he said, "You can take it off, if that's what you really want."

I couldn't hide my surprise at his answer. "A-Are you sure? Is it really okay?" I replied.

He nodded and guided my fingers to the clasp that helped keep the mask in place. I gently undid it and removed the mask from his face. _His really is handsome. I'm a lucky girl, not many people have seen him like this._ I returned my hand to his cheek. My thumb tracing the scar that was there.

"I absolutely love you, you know." I said to him, smiling gently. I stood on my tippy-toes and pressed my lips against his. They were warm and soft; my heart raced as we stood there with our arms around each other sharing our first kiss together.

When we pulled away from each other I couldn't help the giggle that escaped from my mouth. "You're the only man I've ever kissed, just so you know." I smiled at him. He leaned down and kissed me again.

"I love you too, Lily. I'll love you forever. I want to be the only man you ever kiss. All I ask is that you be patient with me; I'm a little rusty in the area of dating," he said.

I giggled and nodded, "Of course. I've never dated anyone before, so we can learn this together." I took his hand and squeezed it. In response, he leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

In my happiness, I ran about the field and spun around among the flowers. I could hear a chuckle come from somewhere behind me. I turned and looked at Kurasame standing by the door. "What's so funny?" I asked him.

"It's not often that I see you act this girly. I find it quite adorable." he said as a faint blush began to appear on his face. I ran back over to him and threw my arms around him. The unexpected impact sent us tumbling into the flowers. We laid there side-by-side among the flowers for some time. "I have to warn you Lily, this isn't going to be easy for us. There's a rough road ahead, and not just because of the war with Milites."

I reached over and grabbed his hand, "I know. But as along as I'm with you, I'm willing to take on whatever comes my way."

 **A/N: as always thanks for reading! We appreciate our followers and would love any reviews! Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: A special thanks to our first reviewer! And thanks as always to all our readers! Enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 8:

I was in no way prepared for the tough times that came my way after that. My siblings and Kurasame were my only saving grace. I was walking through the entrance hall to the Crystarium when someone threw some food at me.

"Everything was fine until Class Zero came along!" the guy yelled at me.

"Yeah! You guys ruined everything!" another student called out.

More food was thrown and I did my best to get away, but I was surrounded. _If I fight back, it could make more trouble for Class Zero and Kurasame._ "Please stop!" I cried out. My plea didn't matter. Food was no longer being thrown at me, now it was fists flying and legs swinging as the blows connected with my body. _I have to do something, but what can I do without causing problems?_

"Enough." A familiar voice said. The students immediately stopped and scattered. I looked up and saw the love of my life as well as my two best friends.

"Guys…" I whispered as I wiped blood from my mouth.

Wasting no time, Kurasame picked me up and headed for the portal. King and Nine followed behind us. I gazed at the man carrying me and whispered, "Thank you." My world slowly went black.

I opened my eyes and found myself in my dorm room. The only thing out of the ordinary was the man sleeping in the chair next to my bed. _He's not wearing his normal outfit. I've never seen him in normal clothes._ I blinked and rubbed my eyes, wanting to make sure this wasn't a dream. "Kurasame?" I called.

His eyes flew open and he rushed to my side. "Lily, what's the matter?"

I shook my head, "Nothing. I'm glad you're here. Thank you for coming to my rescue." I smiled softly.

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently, "I'll always come to your rescue. I love you."

I giggled, "Who would have thought that you could be so sweet and romantic."

I could see a light blush forming on his face. "Don't be mean."

I reached out to cup his cheek, but winced and pulled back when pain shot through my body. "Ow. That hurts pretty bad."

Kurasame ran his fingers through my hair, "Dr. Arecia is on her way. She was having a heated discussion with the Commadant when she was informed on what happened. She should be here soon."

"Mm. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused." I said to him.

"Don't be, but there is a question I would like to ask you. Why didn't you fight back? You could have easily defended yourself against all those kids. I've seen you hold your own in tougher situations." He asked me.

I sighed looked away, "With everything that has gone on, I thought it would cause more trouble for you and the rest of the class."

Kurasame sighed, "I would rather you defend yourself. I'm sure your siblings would feel the same way."

"Sorry." I whispered dejectedly.

He pressed his lips to my forehead once more. "It's okay."

We heard a knock on the door and Mother's voice came from the other side.

He returned to his chair and put his mask on.

When he was ready I called out to Mother. "Come in." I told her.

She entered the room and glanced at Kurasame sitting in the chair. "Thank you for helping my Lily." She said to him.

Kurasame shook his head, "You don't have to thank me."

Mother smirked and turned her attention to me. "Alright darling, let's get you fixed up."

Mother fixed me up and I was able to move without feeling any pain within a day. Kurasame stayed with me until he was sure I was better.

A few days later, I walked with Kurasame to my new favorite place. The beautiful flower garden on the roof of Akademeia. We were spending some time together after class. We didn't get to spend a lot of time together because the war kept Kurasame busy, so I cherished every moment I had with him. I was sitting among the flowers and Kurasame had his head in my lap. I ran my fingers through his hair while he took a short nap. _I love you so much. I am so happy that you are my boyfriend. Hehe, it's weird to even think it. This man asleep in my lap is my boyfriend. I hold his heart and he holds mine. I want to be with him forever._ I watched him as he slept without a care in the world.

After about an hour or so Kurasame opened his eyes. He blinked a few times and then stared at me for a moment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." He sat up and moved to sit next to me.

"It's okay. I enjoyed watching you sleep. You looked so peaceful, no one would ever guess that we are at war." I giggled softly.

Kurasame cupped my cheek and brought my face closer to his. "You are so beautiful." He whispered, and he pressed his lips against mine gently.

I closed my eyes and kissed him back. _His kisses are tender and warm. They make my heart race and my stomach flutter. I am such a lucky woman._ Our lips parted and I said to him, "I absolutely love you Kurasame."

His hand gently caressed my head as we shared another kiss. We separated and laid back in the grass holding hands. "I never thought I would be allowed to be this happy again." He whispered.

I squeezed his hand, "You deserve to be happy; you have done so much for the dominion. I'm just glad that your happiness is found right here." I held up our linked hands. He smiled at me and I rolled over and cuddled up against him. "My happiness is found right here too." We laid there for hours just talking about random things.

I never knew that such joy could be found in even the smallest things when done with someone you love, but my happiness would not last. On our way back, we were stopped by Naghi. "Commander Kurasame, the Commandant would like a word with you. He's in Central Command."

Kurasame nodded and turned to me. "I have to go."

I smiled, "Yeah. I will see you later." I watched him walk away, unaware of the fact that my life was about to change for the worse.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

I was sitting in the back courtyard with Nine and King when Kurasame was finished. He came through the door and headed my way. "What did the Commadant want? Is he sending us on another pointless mission hoping we won't come back?" I joked.

Kurasame shook his head, "Lily, can I have a word with you?"

I could feel the color drain from my face. _This doesn't sound too good._ I nodded and got up from my seat. I glanced back at Nine and King and followed Kurasame to our special spot. I grew more and more anxious as we walked on in silence. As if sensing my unease, He reached out and took my hand in his, squeezing it gently. While I thought it was sweet, it did nothing to calm my nerves. Kurasame opened the door and guided me to a spot among the flowers where he sat down. He removed his mask and set it beside him.

"Lily, sit down." he patted the ground next to him.

I sat down next to hesitantly. _Please let this be good news. Don't let it be bad news._ I looked up at Kurasame and asked, "What did the Commandant want?"

He refused to look me in the eye and replied, "I'm to join the next battle and once again bring glory to the dominion."

I felt my heart drop in to my stomach. I couldn't find my voice for a few minutes. When I was finally able to speak again, my voice was barely a whisper. "What?"

"The Commandant said that if I can lead our troops to victory he will forgive Class Zero of their transgressions." He answered softly.

I clenched my fists tightly as tears began pouring down my face. "He's sending you on a suicide mission! He knows that you won't make it back from this battle. Please don't go. I can't lose you!"

Kurasame cupped my face and kissed my forehead gently, "Please don't cry."

My tears turned to sobs as he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me to his chest. I clung to his uniform tightly as I buried my face in his chest. "Please don't leave me here alone. Please don't go." I continued to sob. "I can't live without you."

He cradled my head against his chest as he held me tighter. "I'm sorry, Lily. I have to go. At least the Crystal will erase your memories of me." He told me.

I couldn't bring myself to tell him about my memories. _I don't want him to feel any worse than he does now. I don't think he'll change his mind even then. All I can do is make the most of what little time I have left with him._ I looked up and softly pressed my lips against his.

He returned my kiss and brushed the tears from my face. "No more crying. I want to see that beautiful smile that brings me so much happiness."

I nodded and forced myself to hold back my tears. I looked up at him and smiled. "We'll be late for class. We better head back, it would be bad if you were late. My siblings would never let you forget it."

He nodded. "You're right, but first—" He leaned over and kissed me once more. "Okay, now we can go."

I laughed and stood up, "Alright."

He placed his mask back on his face and stood up as well. He held his hand out for me, and I placed my in his.

We walked back to Classroom Zero in silence, but this silence wasn't uncomfortable. We let go of each other's hand before entering, and Kurasame walked in to the classroom first. I entered next, and took my seat next to King. While Kurasame was writing stuff on the board, King leaned over to talk to me.

"Why were you crying?" he asked me.

"It's kind of a complicated." I whispered back.

"Did you and the Commander fight?" he questioned.

I shook my head and smiled. "Don't worry about me. I'm okay."

"Quiet back there you two!" Kurasame called out to us.

King and I laughed quietly. "Yes _taichou…_ " I replied tauntingly.

He narrowed his eyes and swiftly responded with, "Detention, Lily."

I smirked and whispered, "Grump."

King laughed quietly. Nine gave me a thumbs up.

After I served my detention I talked with King and Nine to explain to them what had happened and took a walk with Tonberry. He had taken to accompanying me when my love was busy.

We made our way to the Terrace a few hours later where we encountered Nine, Cater, and Kurasame talking.

"Hey, is it true? Word has it that it's OUR fault that you have to go out on this next mission, yo!"

Kurasame narrowed his eyes and responded, "Is that any way to address your commanding officer? By the Crystal, you are a child."

Cater crossed her arms, "Don't go changing the subject."

Kurasame looked at the ground and replied, "It was not your fault. If anyone's to blame, it is me."

"I don't give a damn about any of that! I mean, will your body even hold up in a large-scale operation like this in the first place, yo?" Nine asked.

"I can still use magic, but the body does not lie: I can't move like I used to, so I am not truly fit." Kurasame answered honestly.

Cater shifted uncomfortably.

He continued on, "I am no longer the Ice Reaper of old. Still, I'm not completely useless."

Nine tilted his head and asked another question, "Huh? You mean you'll be all right supporting the l'Cie?"

Kurasame sighed in exasperation, "The things I hear from you, after all this time at war. There is no such things as "all right" on the battlefield. Have you not learned?"

"None of that matters, all right?" Nine said as he crossed his arms in indifference.

Kurasame shifted his weight, "Would it really matter to you if I _did_ die?"

"Of course it would! Look: I may not like you, but you're my CO! If I let you die, then it looks bad on my part. And if you die because of us, we'll get the heat for it!" Cater said in frustration.

Without missing a beat Kurasame replied, "Don't worry. If I die, the Crystal will wipe your memories."

"I doubt we would forget you—seriously. I mean, you're Class Zero's commander." Nine interjected.

"…I see. In that case, I will pray that you remember me…as your commanding officer—and a real pain in the ass." He stated.

Nine laughed and smirked, "Yeah, you got that right! We couldn't forget an annoying guy like you if we tried!"

Kurasame merely responded with, "Don't flatter me. Just make me proud on mission day."

Cater nodded and left, but Nine stayed and gave Kurasame a questioning look. "Is this what you needed to talk to Lily about earlier?"

"It is none of your business." He replied.

Nine huffed in irritation at glared at him, poking him in the chest. "You better be good to Lily these next few days. She deserves it since you're putting her through this, yo. She loves you, you better make sure she knows how much you love her." Nine finished his sentence and walked away.

I watched Kurasame for a few minutes after Nine left. He looked down at his feet and said, "I know."

Tonberry and I approached him. "Kurasame?" I asked him.

His head snapped up, "Lily, how long have you been there?"

I smiled at him, "Long enough."

He squatted down to Tonberry's level and patted him on the head. "Thank you for taking care of her for me."

Tonberry ran around Kurasame and jumped in his lap happily. "I think you've made him happy!" I giggled.

"Have I made you happy?" He asked my seriously.

I looked at him and smiled, "Of course you have."

Kurasame smiled and stood back up. He looked around at the students who had appeared on the Terrace and sighed. He took a couple steps toward me and whispered, "I really want to kiss you right now."

"Let's go then." I replied. He spent the rest of day by my side. We separated at curfew with a promise to spend the next few days in each other's company.

The next few days went by way too quickly for me; before I knew it, mission day had come. Kurasame and I promised to meet on the rooftop early in the morning so we could spend a little more time together. I opened the door and spotted him sitting with Tonberry. "Kurasame." I called out to him. I could feel the tears threatening to spill as his name left my mouth. _No. I promised myself I wouldn't cry; it'll only make it harder for the two of us._

He stood up and approached me. "Lily." All he said was my name as he pulled me close to him and hugged me tightly. "It's going to be okay." He removed his mask and tossed it somewhere in the flowers. "I love you, Lily. That's never going to change." He kissed me sweetly as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I love you too, Kurasame." I whispered back.

We took a seat in the grass next to Tonberry. He climbed into Kurasame's lap and settled there. He laughed and patted Tonberry's head, then he looked up at me. "Take care of him for me, should anything happen."

I nodded and pushed back my sadness once again. I scooted closer to him and cuddled against his side. Neither of us said anything, we merely cherished the moment. Finally, I broke the silence, "Please come home."

Kurasame caressed my cheek and nodded. "If we both make it back from this war, will you marry me Lily?"

My eyes widened at his sudden question. My strength failed me and I began to cry. _Why is the Crystal doing this to me. This isn't fair, we both know that he won't come back from this battle. I won't get to see him again._ I nodded through my tears and tried my best to smile.

Kurasame brushed away my tears as they fell. "See, now I have to come back. I don't have a ring, but I hope this will suffice for now." He pulled out a ring he made from a flower in the field.

I laughed in midst of my tears and said, "It's perfect." He slipped the flower ring on my finger and kissed it. He pulled me against his chest and kissed me more passionately than he ever had before.

The chimes from the clock rang out, interrupting our kiss. _I wish I could freeze time and live in this moment forever._ Kurasame and I looked at each other. "It's time to go." I said. We hugged each other tightly again when I felt something tugging on my skirt. I looked down and saw Tonberry. "Do you want to join in too?" I asked. He jumped up and down in response. I laughed and bent down to pick him up.

Kurasame and I laughed as we hugged once more. He then addressed Tonberry. "Lily is going to look after you for me. I want you take care of her if I don't come back. Can you do that for me?" Tonberry nodded and he made his way onto my shoulder. I smiled and patted Tonberry on the head. We left for our mission rendezvous point.

King, Nine, and I were selected for the mission of taking on the Big Bridge. It was our job to neutralize the Crystal jammer that Milites brought to the party. The rest of Class Zero was assigned to take on the Concordian forces. The three of us sat waiting impatiently for the mission to begin.

"Class Zero, prepare for mission start." The voice on the receiver said. We arrived at our mission start point and headed for the Crystal jammer. All around us dominion troops were rushing to get away as the jammer was activated. Wave after wave, we fought Militesi soldiers and MAs. We took out the jammer and eliminated the turret that was a threat to the summoning group.

"Target eliminated." I said into the COMM.

"Roger. Keep the soldiers at bay while Lady Caetuna starts summoning."

"Got it." King answered.

The three of us were able to push back the Militesi troops long enough for Lady Caetuna to begin summoning Alexander, the Verboten Eidolon. Orders to retreat were given to every dominion solider still on the field. Any who failed to follow this order would be obliterated by Alexander.

As we were retreating, Kurasame's voice was transmitted through our COMMs. "Class Zero, respond. You're souls have infinite possibilities, and now you've all chosen your path. Good work." He said.

King, Nine, and I stopped and looked at each other. _He's saying goodbye._ My chest tightened as I spoke to him over the COMMs. "Kurasame. No matter what happens, I'll always love you."

I heard him chuckle, "I never would have thought that I would be okay saying this where everyone can hear it, but I'm going to die anyway. Lily, I love you too. Make it back safely."

Another voice rang out in the COMMs indicating that a strange presence had been detected. It turned out to be a Black Tortoise l'Cie. He was strong and we barely made it out of there in one piece. Thankfully, we made it back before Lady Caetuna had finished her summoning.

Never have I seen anything like the Verboten Eidolon that was summoned. It completely decimated the Militesi front and left nothing in its wake. Needless to say, Rubrum had won this battle, but not without great sacrifice. We returned to Akademeia to prepare for the next battle.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Shortly after our arrival, I was summoned to Central Command. "We were left instructions to inform you of Commander Kurasame Susaya's condition after battle. He did not survive the summoning of the Eidolon. He also left us instructions to give you this envelope in the case of his demise."

I accepted the envelope and nodded. I took my leave and chose read it in the courtyard outside of Classroom Zero. I sat down on the bench and opened the letter. My hands were shaky as I began to read it.

 _Dearest Lily,_

 _If you are reading this, then I did not make it back alive. You won't remember me, but I hope you will continue to read this letter anyway. During my time as a cadet, I endured many trials, including the loss of my classmates, best friends, and even a girl I once loved. I had sealed off my heart and truly embraced my title of "Ice Reaper." I had lived like this for many years. Then Class Zero was charged to my command, and a young spirited woman with burgundy hair and bright purple eyes began to melt my icy heart. That beautiful young woman was you._ _I never thought that someone's smile could inspire such joy within me, but yours did. I'm so sorry that I had to leave you so soon after I told you how I truly felt about you. I wanted to spend more time with you, and I truly did want to marry you. I hope you will watch over Tonberry for me and I've asked him to take care of you in my place. He has been a loyal friend to me all these years. Enclosed in this envelope is a picture of us that I had King secretly take for me after I found out that I would be assigned to this mission. My hope is that you will keep it, so you will at least know what I looked like. I was also able to acquire a ring at the very last minute, so I have also put that in the envelope. I understand if you feel uncomfortable as you don't remember me, but I hope you'll at least keep it. I love you so much Lily. Please always remember that, even if you don't remember your love for me._

 _Forever yours,_

 _Kurasame Susaya_

The tears poured from my face as I read this letter. _You silly man, there's no way I could ever forget you._ I pulled the picture out of the envelope and smiled sadly. King had taken a picture of Kurasame and I with happy smiles on our faces. The ring was absolutely beautiful, it had clear and purple diamonds set in an silver band.

"What is that?" a deep voice asked.

I looked up and saw King. "It's an engagement ring that Kurasame gave me."

King appeared to be in deep thought. "That's the name of our commanding officer who died, right?"

I nodded, "I love him very much. Here's a picture he had you take of us." I held up the photo for him to see.

King smiled and commented, "You guys look very happy."

"We were." I said. I looked back at the picture and then at the ring. I slowly slipped it on my left hand and looked at it. My tears began to turn into sobs.

King pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. "It's going to be okay."

"What's wrong, yo?" Nine asked from the doorway. King gestured to the photo and Nine asked, "Is that our commanding officer who died, huh?" King nodded. "It looks like you loved each other a lot, hey."

I buried my face in King's chest and sobbed harder. Nine joined in on the hug and kissed my temple.

I felt a familiar tugging on my skirt. I looked down and saw Tonberry staring up at me. I picked him up and included him in our hug. "Looks like it's just you and me now." I said to him.

"Hey, we're here for you too, yo."

"Yeah...You can always count on us."

I looked up at King and then back at Nine, "I know, you two have been there for me since Mother brought us all together. I am truly grateful for the two of you. Kurasame fought hard for us, the dominion, and Orience, We have to do the same for him from this point on."

And fight hard we did. Class Zero was able to defeat the Militesi empire, but the battle was not over. Our actions set a horrible event in motion: Tempis Finis. Not much is known about Tempis Finis, but we know enough to be afraid of what it brings. Lady Celestia escorted us to a temple that has appeared behind Akademeia. The end was coming for Orience; the Rursus had already begun to invade and slaughter its people. Cid Aulstyne's voice rang out from somewhere in the temple, challenging us to his crucibles in order to determine if we are worthy of becoming Agito. My hands were shaking with nervousness. _If we die, it's all over. Mother can't bring us back. Orience will perish. Kurasame, if you are watching over us, please give us strength._

King took my hand and squeezed it gently. "We're all together in the end. No matter what happens, we are all together."

I nodded and squeezed his hand back. "Let's do this." My siblings and I fought our way through Cid's crucibles, fighting valiantly for the fate of Orience. At one point, we were all offered the chance to become l'Cie. None of us chose that path, or wanted it. Our fight would continue as mortals. We were so close to the finish line, but Cid deemed us unworthy of the title of Agito.

Beaten and battered, we continued on to face Cid in hopes of still being able to save Orience. The thirteen of us noticed a strange crystal formation. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that it was Rem and Machina.

"They're l'Cie?" Jack asked.

"What happened?" Deuce questioned.

I limped closer and noticed the position they were in when they crystallized. "It looks like they fought, and Machina won. He must have deeply regretted it because he's cradling her body."

We all stared in silence at the two of them before us. A loud voice broke the silence, beckoning us to our final battle. All of us struggled to reach that point, only it wasn't Cid who greeted us when we got there. A giant monster was to be our target. We landed attack after attack, but to no avail. We were on our last legs when two glowing orbs surrounded Queen. She began to glow, and Machina and Rem's voice sounded out.

"A future only humans can attain—that is the future you hold. After the trials of countless worlds, you all made it to a single future." They said.

They granted each and every one of us unimaginable strength, and defeating the beast was no problem. However, that strength came at a great cost. After they left our bodies, it left us close to death. We were granted a dying mercy as we found ourselves in what appeared to be Classroom Zero.

We were sitting at our desks, groaning at the pain that we felt. I looked to my left and saw King hunched over holding his stomach and gritting his teeth. I shifted in my seat and felt excruciating pain run through my body. I looked around at the rest of my siblings, they were all in the same state I was.

Ace was still unconscious, so Cater woke him up. "Ace. Are you awake?" She asked.

Ace looked down at his hands and grunted in pain. "Yeah, that's right…The war is over."

"I wonder if we're…we're going to die?" Queen asked in a frightened tone.

Seven commented, "I'm afraid…of dying."

"Oh, boy…this really hurts." Jack moaned. He leaned forward and rested his head on the desk.

Cater agreed, "Yeah."

"It is quite painful." Trey admitted as he clenched his fists.

I looked down at my hands. _We ended the war. At least we know that Orience will be safe._

Nine stood up suddenly and shouted, "What's with you!? I thought you were ready to die!"

King grunted, expressing his irritation with Nine on his face. I placed my hand on his arm and shook my head to calm him down, ignoring the pain rippling through my body. At the front of the classroom, Cinque began to cry.

"But…" Deuce started.

Seven interjected, "I'm not ready."

"I'm scared." Trey added.

King finished, "Yeah…"

Cinque's crying turned into sobbing. Queen slowly stood up and made her way to Cinque. She winced and sat down carefully next to her. "Cinque, you…"

The rest of us also began to leave our seats to join the two of them at the front of the classroom. King and I helped each other reach the front. He helped me sit down then took a seat beside me. We were sitting there crying out at the pain we felt. "It really hurts." Cater said,

"I don't want to die…" Trey whispered.

"This…is the end?" Nine asked somberly.

"Why does it have to be so…?" Queen started.

Our crying increased and continued. To help cheer us up, Ace began singing, "Walk on wandering souls, for your respite we pray. Let our humble song clear your hearts of dismay. Rekindle the flame in your souls and set you free, so walk on and become the light that guides the way."

"You never go past that part, do you?" Seven observed.

King answered her, "That's the only part Ace knows."

Jack laughed, "…I'm not crying anymore."

"Yeah." Sice said.

We all wiped the tear tracks that had been made on our faces and looked around at each other. _My siblings are strong, no matter what has been thrown their way they've never faltered. I'm glad we were all brought together. I don't know what I'd do without them, especially Nine and King. We've been close since the beginning; they've looked out for me when I felt like I didn't belong, or when I was in trouble._

Eight looked at ground for a moment, then he looked around at us and said, "Hey. The war is over now, right?"

King responded, "That's right."

"We ended it." I added, clutching my stomach as I sat up and looked at Eight..

Eight continued, "Well then, let's think about what comes next."

"We don't have a 'next'…" Cinque said, rubbing her eyes.

Trey placed his hand on her arm, "But we're free to think about it, Cinque."

"Yeah…Yeah. Good point! Then let's think of a future…a big happy future!" She said gleefully.

Deuce asked, "What should we do first? Any suggestions?"

We all pondered on this question. _All we've ever known is war and fighting. It would be nice to focus on something else for a change._ Finally, Cater spoke up and answered, "I want to invite Mother on a trip to Concordia and Milites!"

"Don't you think you've been to both of those places enough times on our campaigns?" Sice questioned.

Cater shook her head, "We're not going there to fight—we're going there just for fun!"

"Ah!" Nine exclaimed.

Ace nodded in agreement and spoke next, "Yeah, I like it. For once, we'll finally be able to take it easy—and so will Mother."

"Then…we're just going to have to draw up a proper itinerary." Queen replied.

Jack elbowed Eight and quipped, "That's our class leader: always micromanaging!"

"Since when am I the class leader?" Queen responded angrily, sending a chilly glare Jack's way.

Cinque then asked, "Okay. So what do we do when we get back from our trip?"

We all paused and thought about this once more.. This time, Eight broke the silence. "Let's see. How about we study something else besides fighting?" he suggested.

Nine and Jack noisily voiced their objection to this. "Huh?" Nine exclaimed.

Jack shook his head in disagreement, "What? More studying and tests?"

"Sheesh! Enough already, yo!" Nine pleaded fanning his hand.

Trey laughed, "But this time it won't be about learning to use weapons or magic."

Nine scratched his head and asked, "So what do we study? Is there anything that's NOT fighting?" He was obviously confused.

"Well, we could read fables about the founders of Orience, or study all about how flowers bud and bloom…All we've ever known is war. We have so much left to learn." Deuce advocated.

I nodded excitedly, " I know the perfect place to study about flowers! The rooftop of Akademeia is covered in a field of them. See?" I pulled out my picture of Kurasame and I to show to my siblings.

"Does that even count as studying? Although…it does sound interesting. That field in your picture looks like the perfect place." Sice commented.

Nine gestured to my picture, "Looks like that place holds happy memories for you."

I nodded and looked down at the ring sparkling on my finger, "I loved this man very much. I've spent a lot of time in this field, so I would love to learn how to make more of those flowers grow."

"Good! And then? What do we do when we're done studying? What do we do WAY in the future?" Cinque questioned.

Nine leaned forward to get a better look at Cinque, "Way in the future? Like how long?"

"Hmmm…How about, like, ten years later?" Cinque clarified.

"Hmph. Ten years, you say? I can't even imagine." King muttered as he crossed his arms.

I looked up at King and nodded in agreement. "It's a long time."

Deuce thought carefully and clasped her hands together, "I'm sure that, no matter what we do, it will be great as long as we're together."

"Yeah. Life would definitely be fun. I just know it!" Cater agreed.

Queen decided to join in as well, "Yes, I would agree with that." She adjusted her glasses and nodded.

"Hmmm…But you never know what will happen in the future right?" Jack started. Queen leaned forward to argue, but Trey held out his arm to stop her. Jack continued, "So I think we should just stay in the moment, y'know what I mean?"

Seven responded quipped, "Oh, is that why I heard you whisper that you never want to grow up?"

"Wait, what the hell?!" Nine bellowed.

We all began laughing with each other. I laughed quietly to myself and glanced down at the picture in my hand. _We've come a long way. We've lost a lot of people and had to endure many obstacles. Yet here we are, all together in the end._ I hugged the photo to my chest and silently prayed. _Kurasame, we did it. We saved Orience; I know that if you were here you would be so proud of us. We fought hard until the very end. I love you; this will never change, no matter what becomes of me. You'll be in my heart until it beats for the very last time._

"I'm so glad I'm not alone. Not at all." Cinque whispered quietly.

Our end was drawing near. "Guys, hand me what's left of your capes." I said to the others. They each passed me their capes, obviously confused by my request. I began tying them together piece by piece. After I finished tying them together, I turned to Nine. "Will you summon your lance for me?" Nine nodded and did as I asked. I tied our capes to it and stuck it in the ground. I placed my spell book beside it; the others nodded in understanding and followed suit. We all began to sit around our creation. "A reminder for everyone, so no one will forget who we were." I whispered, sitting down next to King.

Without warning we heard Mother's voice, she was talking to someone about us. This would be the last time we would get to talk to her, so we made the most of it.

"We made our choice, but…" Ace started.

Seven spoke up next, "We're not really sure whether it was the right one, though."

"Class Zero, taken doooooown right here!" Jack said.

King added, "As long as we went down gracefully, that's fine."

"And we are still together." I chimed in.

Eight spoke next, "Hey guys, we made a good run, right?"

"Ran for our lives, maybe?" Cater laughed.

Nine piped in, "Actually, we coulda run a bit more."

"Yeah, right. Your knees were like jelly at the end!" Cinque giggled.

Nine bellowed back, "Hells no! I was totally up for more."

"Were we able to forge a path before us?" Deuce asked.

Trey answered, "It's a path they've connected for us."

"I think that we did a pretty good job ourselves, too." Seven replied.

Queen finished, "I agree. This path was connected through our efforts, and it will remain so ever after."

"Mother…" we all said.

"Hm?" She responded.

"We are…" we stated.

"Really?" She replied.

"That's right. So…" we began.

"What's this?" Mother asked listening to our request.

"Besides…" we all said.

"Yes?" was her response.

We all looked at each other and held one another's hand and told her, "We love you."

"Is that what you want?" She questioned.

"Yes!" The thirteen of us agreed.

"Very well then." She consented.

We all squeezed each other's hands and smiled. "Class Zero, together in the end."

* * *

Machina and Rem ran into the classroom ahead of them. They were greeted by the sight of Class Zero sitting side by side, holding hands. Their eyes were closed and they were slumped against each other. Tears began to roll down their face as they stared at their classmates. Machina ran up to the group and shook one of them.

"Wake up!" He said. When none of them responded, his dropped to his knees and yelled out angrily.

He whispered, "I'm sorry everyone."

Rem quietly walked up behind him and placed her hand in his shoulder.

A breeze began to pick up. The wind ruffled Class Zero's hair, and the playing card in Ace's hand flew in to the air. It transformed into golden particles that were carried out the hole in the side of the building. The flag that Class Zero made rippled in the breeze, serving as a reminder of the sacrifice thirteen teenagers made for a world that rejected them.

Rem and Machina stood side-by-side and gazed at the flag. It was then that Machina heard it, the voices of a class that he had once turned against. Their voices were soft as the they were carried by the wind.

 _We are…right here._

* * *

 **A/N: thank you for reading! All that's left is the epilogue. See you again soon!**


	11. Epilogue

Dr. Arecia paced the hallway and stared in the direction Machina and Rem had left in. She contemplated the events that had led up to this point. "This experiment resulted in a different ending. Hmm…" she took a puff of her cigarette and looked out the window. "Maybe it wasn't as much of a failure as we thought…" She concluded. She began walking away, she arrived at the room she was looking for and glanced up at the Vermillion Bird Crystal. "Let's end this."

Dr. Arecia Al-Rashia chose to remove the crystals from Orience and make it as if the war had never happened. This decision changed things entirely. No longer was Class Zero's focus on war, they were able to cultivate their own interests. Some students took up a sport, while others formed a band. Lily took her studies seriously, but she did have interests outside of schoolwork.

…And not to worry, this story has a happy ending.

Lily walked down the hallway reading her notes from yesterday's class. She wasn't paying attention to the person walking her direction. _Thud!_ She collided with a man wearing a metal mask that covered half his face. She began to fall backwards, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Lily, I'm glad you take your studies seriously, but you need to be careful." He looked to see if anyone was in the hallway. "I don't want you to get hurt." He said as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She giggled and shook her head, "You are quite bold today, Kurasame. What if someone sees you?" She placed her hand on his chest.

"I don't care today. I was hoping I would see you." His embrace grew a tighter around her. "Let's go to our special spot."

They walked to the roof and sat down in the grass. Tonberry tottered along behind them. She wrapped her arms around Kurasame's neck, undid his mask clamp, and placed his mask on the ground. They snuggled against each other and shared a sweet kiss. "I love you, Lily." He said quietly.

She giggled and pressed her forehead against his. "I love you too."

He caressed her face and kissed her again, "I want to ask you a question."

"Well that sounds quite serious." She responded.

Her eyes widened in shock when Kurasame suddenly changed positions. He was kneeling in front of her on one knee. "Lily, I have loved you for so long now. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Tears flowed from her eyes as she nodded yes eagerly. He slipped a beautiful silver ring with clear and purple diamonds set in it. "It's beautiful!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Her ring sparkled in the sunlight as they shared another kiss.

 _I'm so happy._

 **A/N:** Thank you all so much for reading my story! This is my first Final Fantasy Type-0 fanfic, so I was a little worried! It was so much fun to write, and all your encouragement has helped me keep my confidence in it. I have finally been given permission to create an account on here. My cousin has been kind enough to upload this story for me. You can look for the sequel (when I finish it) under the name LilyGraystone. I hope you guys will check it out!


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